This application relates to devices for lifting wheels. In particular, the application relates to devices for lifting large wheels such as dual tractor wheels.
Dual tractor wheels can be extremely heavy and cumbersome. Removing and replacing the outside wheels on a tractor can take a significant amount of time that adversely affects productivity. Such wheels are often too heavy to be moved by a single person, and the size of such wheels can make them too cumbersome to be easily positioned. One solution to these problems is to lift the wheel with a hoist, so that a user can position the wheel for installation on a vehicle. Such hoists, however, have not provided adequate stability when lifting wheels. For example, the Wheel Clamp disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,064,334, provides contacts for only two points on an inside surfaces of the wheel rim. This may allow the tire to rotate about a vertical axis in relation to the wheel clamp. Also, the use of only two contact points places all of the load from the wheel's weight at those points. This loading can restrict the rotation of the bearings used for rotating the wheel when larger wheels are lifted.
Accordingly, there is a need for a device that is capable of easily lifting large wheels. There is a further need for a device that can be used with large wheels while allowing for rotation of the wheel in the device while distributing the load of the wheel's weight.